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SONGS OF KA.BIR

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SONGS OF KABIR

TRANSLATED BY

RABINDRANATH TAGORE

AUTHOR OF "GITANJAM," ETC.

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF

EVELYN UNDERBILL

Netn g0rft
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

1915

AU rights reserved

COPTEIGHT, 1916,

bt the maomillan company.

Set up and electrotyped. Published January, 1915.

J, 8. Gushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

INTRODUCTION

THE poet Kabir, a selection from
whose songs is here for the first
time offered to EngUsh readers, is one
of the most interesting personahties
in the history of Indian mysticism.
Born in or near Benares, of Mohamme-
dan parents, and probably about the
year 1440, he became in early life a
disciple of the celebrated Hindu as-
cetic Ramananda. Ramananda had
brought to Northern India the reli-
gious revival which Ramanuja, the
great twelfth-century reformer of Brah-
manism, had initiated in the South.
This revival was in part a reaction
against the increasing formalism of the
orthodox cult, in part an assertion of
the demands of the heart as against

5

6 SONGS OF KABIR

the intense intellectualism of the Ve-
danta philosophy, the exaggerated
monism which that philosophy pro-
claimed. It took in Ramanuja's
preaching the form of an ardent per-
sonal devotion to the God Vishnu, as
representing the personal aspect of the
Divine Nature: that mystical "reli-
gion of love" which everywhere makes
its appearance at a certain level of
spiritual culture, and which creeds and
philosophies are powerless to kill.

Though such a devotion is indige-
nous in Hinduism, and finds expression
in some of the oldest parts of the Bhaga-
vad Gita, there was in its mediaeval
revival a large element of syncretism.
Ramananda, through whom its spirit is
said to have reached Kablr, appears to
have been a man of wide religious cul-
ture, and full of missionary enthusiasm.
Living at the moment in which the
impassioned poetry and deep philoso-

INTRODUCTION 7

phy of the great Persian mystics. Attar,
Sadi, Jalalu'ddm Rtimi, and Hafiz,
were exercising a powerful influence
on the rehgious thought of India, he
dreamed of reconciHng this intense
and personal Mohammedan mysticism
with the traditional theology of Brah-
manism. Some have regarded both
these great religious leaders as influ-
enced also by Christian thought and
life : but as this is a point upon which
competent authorities hold widely di-
vergent views, its discussion is not at-
tempted here. We may safely assert,
however, that in their teachings, two
— perhaps three — apparently antag-
onistic streams of intense spiritual
culture met, as Jewish and Hellenistic
thought met in the early Christian
Church : and it is one of the outstand-
ing characteristics of Kablr's genius
that he was able in his poems to fuse
them into one.

8 SONGS OF KABIR

A great religious reformer, the
founder of a sect to which nearly a
million northern Hindus still belong,
it is yet supremely as a mystical poet
that Kabir lives for us. His fate has
been that of many revealers of Reality.
A hater of religious exclusivism, and
seeking above alj things to initiate men
into the liberty of the children of God,
his followers have honoured his mem-
ory by re-erecting in a new place the
barriers which he laboured to cast
down. But his wonderful songs sur-
vive, the spontaneous expressions of
his vision and his love ; and it is by
these, not by the didactic teachings
associated with his name, that he makes
his immortal appeal to the heart. In
these poems a wide range of mystical
emotion is brought into play : from the
loftiest abstractions, the most other-
worldly passion for the Infinite, to the
most intimate and personal realiza-

INTRODUCTION 9

tion of God, expressed in homely
metaphors and rehgious symbols
drawn indifferently from Hindu and
Mohammedan belief. It is impossible
to say of their author that he was
Brahman or Sufi, Vedantist or Vaish-
navite. He is, as he says himself,
"At once the child of Allah and of
Ram." That Supreme Spirit Whom
he knew and adored, and to Whose joy-
ous friendship he sought to induct the
souls of other men, transcended whilst
He included all metaphysical cate-
gories, all credal definitions ; yet each
contributed something to the descrip-
tion of that Infinite and Simple Total-
ity Who revealed Himself, according
to their measure, to the faithful lovers
of all creeds.

Kabir's story is surrounded by con-
tradictory legends, on none of which
reliance can be placed. Some of these
emanate from a Hindu, some from a

10 SONGS OF KABIR

Mohammedan source, and claim him by
turns as a Sufi and a Brahman saint.
His name, however, is practically a
conclusive proof of Moslem ancestry :
and the most probable tale is that
which represents him as the actual
or adopted child of a Mohammedan
weaver of Benares, the city in which the
chief events of his life took place.

In fifteenth-century Benares the syn-
cretistic tendencies of Bhakti religion
had reached full development. Sufis
and Brahmans appear to have met in
disputation : the most spiritual mem-
bers of both creeds frequenting the
teachings of Ramananda, whose repu-
tation was then at its height. The
boy Kabir, in whom the religious pas-
sion was innate, saw in Ramananda
his destined teacher; but knew how
slight were the chances that a Hindu
guru would accept a Mohammedan as
disciple. He therefore hid upon the

INTRODUCTION 11

steps of the river Ganges, where Rama-
nanda was accustomed to bathe ; with
the result that the master, coming
down to the water, trod upon his body
unexpectedly, and exclaimed in his
astonishment, "Ram! Ram!" — the
name of the incarnation under which he
worshipped God. Kabir then declared
that he had received the mantra of
initiation from Ramananda's lips, and
was by it admitted to discipleship. In
spite of the protests of orthodox Brah-
mans and Mohammedans, both equally
annoyed by this contempt of theologi-
cal landmarks, he persisted in his
claim; thus exhibiting in action that
very principle of religious synthesis
which Ramananda had sought to es-
tablish in thought. Ramananda ap-
pears to have accepted him, and
though Mohammedan legends speak
of the famous Sufi Pir, Takki of Jhani,
as Kabir's master in later life, the

12 SONGS OF KABIR

Hindu saint is the only human teacher
to whom in his songs he acknowledges
indebtedness.

The little that we know of Kabir's
life contradicts many current ideas
concerning the Oriental mystic. Of
the stages of discipline through which
he passed, the manner in which his
spiritual genius developed,, we are com-
pletely ignorant. He seems to have
remained for years the disciple of
Ramananda, joining in the theological
and philosophical arguments which his
master held with all the great Mullahs
and Brahmans of his day ; and to
this source we may perhaps trace his
acquaintance with the terms of Hindu
and Stifl philosophy. He may or may
not have submitted to the traditional
education of the Hindu or the Sufi
contemplative : it is clear, at any rate,
that he never adopted the life of the
professional ascetic, or retired from the

INTRODUCTION 13

world in order to devote himself to
bodily mortifications and the exclu-
sive pursuit of the contemplative life.
Side by side with his interior life of
adoration, its artistic expression in
music and words — for he was a skilled
musician as well as a poet — he lived
the sane and diligent life of the Orien-
tal craftsman. All the legends agree
on this point : that Kabir was a weaver,
a simple and unlettered man, who
earned his living at the loom. Like
Paul the tentmaker, Boehme the cob-
bler, Bunyan the tinker, Tersteegen
the ribbon-maker, he knew how to
combine vision and industry; the
work of his hands helped rather than
hindered the impassioned meditation
of his heart. Hating mere bodily aus-
terities, he was no ascetic, but a mar-
ried man, the father of a family — a
circumstance which Hindu legends of
the monastic type vainly attempt to

14 SONGS OF KABIR

conceal or explain — and it was from
out of the heart of the common Hfe
that he sang his rapturous lyrics of
divine love. Here his works corrobo-
rate the traditional story of his life.
Again and again he extols the life of
home, the value and reality of diurnal
existence, with its opportunities for
love and renunciation; pouring con-
tempt upon the professional sanctity
of the Yogi, who "has a great beard
and matted locks, and looks like a
goat," and on all who think it neces-
sary to flee a world pervaded by love,
joy, and beauty — the proper theatre
of man's quest — in order to find that
One Reality Who has "spread His form
of love throughout all the world." ^

It does not need much experience of
ascetic hterature to recognize the bold-
ness and originality of this attitude in
such a time and place. From the

1 Cf . Poems Nos. XXI, XL, XLIII, LXVI, LXXVI.

INTRODUCTION 15

point of view of orthodox sanctity,
whether Hindu or Mohammedan, Ka-
bir was plainly a heretic ; and his frank
dislike of all institutional religion, all
external observance — which was as
thorough and as intense as that of the
Quakers themselves — completed, so
far as ecclesiastical opinion was con-
cerned, his reputation as a dangerous
man. The " simple union " with Divine
Reality which he perpetually extolled,
as alike the duty and the joy of every
soul, was independent both of ritual
and of bodily austerities; the God
whom he proclaimed was "neither in
Kaaba nor in Kailash." Those who
sought Him needed not to go far ; for
He awaited discovery everywhere, more
accessible to "the washerwoman and
the carpenter" than to the self-right-
eous holy man.^ Therefore the whole
apparatus of piety, Hindu and Moslem

1 Poems I, II, XLI.

16 SONGS OF KABIR

alike — the temple and mosque, idol
and holy water, scriptures and priests
— were denounced by this inconven-
iently clear-sighted poet as mere sub-
stitutes for reality ; dead things inter-
vening between the soul and its love —

The images are all lifeless, they cannot speak :
I know, for I have cried aloud to them.

The Purana and the Koran are mere words :
lifting up the curtain, I have seen.^

This sort of thing cannot be tolerated
by any organized church; and it is
not surprising that Kabir, having his
head-quarters in Benares, the very
centre of priestly influence, was sub-
jected to considerable persecution. The
well-known legend of the beautiful
courtesan sent by the Brahmans to
tempt his virtue, and converted, like
the Magdalen, by her sudden encounter
with the initiate of a higher love, pre-
serves the memory of the fear and dis-

1 Poems XLII, LXV, LXVII.

INTRODUCTION 17

like with which he was regarded by the
ecclesiastical powers. Once at least,
after the performance of a supposed
miracle of healing, he was brought
before the Emperor Sikandar Lodi,
and charged with claiming the posses-
sion of divine powers. But Sikandar
Lodi, a ruler of considerable culture,
was tolerant of the eccentricities of
saintly persons belonging to his own
faith. Kabir, being of Mohammedan
birth, was outside the authority of the
Brahmans, and technically classed with
the Sufis, to whom great theological
latitude was allowed. Therefore,
though he was banished in the in-
terests of peace from Benares, his hfe
was spared. This seems to have
happened in 1495, when he was nearly
sixty years of age ; it is the last event
in his career of which we have definite
knowledge. Thenceforth he appears
to have moved about amongst various

18 SONGS OF KABIR

cities of northern India, the centre of
a group of disciples; continuing in
exile that life of apostle and poet of
love to which, as he declares in one of
his songs, he was destined "from the
beginning of time." In 1518, an old
man, broken in health, and with hands
so feeble that he could no longer make
the music which he loved, he died at
Maghar near Gorakhpur.

A beautiful legend tells us that after
his death his Mohammedan and Hindu
disciples disputed the possession of
his body; which the Mohammedans
wished to bury, the Hindus to burn.
As they argued together, Kabir ap-
peared before them, and told them to
lift the shroud and look at that which
lay beneath. They did so, and found
in the place of the corpse a heap of
flowers ; half of which were buried by
the Mohammedans at Maghar, and
half carried by the Hindus to the holy

INTRODUCTION 19

city of Benares to be burned — fitting
conclusion to a life which had made
fragrant the most beautiful doctrines
of two great creeds.

II

The poetry of mysticism might be
defined on the one hand as a tempera-
mental reaction to the vision of Reality :
on the other, as a form of prophecy.
As it is the special vocation of the mys-
tical consciousness to mediate between
two orders, going out in loving adora-
tion towards God and coming home to
tell the secrets of Eternity to other
men; so the artistic self-expression of
this consciousness has also a double
character. It is love-poetry, but love-
poetry which is often written with a
missionary intention.

Kabir's songs are of this kind : out-
births at once of rapture and of charity.
Written in the popular Hindi, not in

20 SONGS OF KABIR

the literary tongue, they were deliber-
ately addressed — like the vernacular
poetry of Jacopone da Todi and
Richard RoUe — to the people rather
than to the professionally religious class ;
and all must be struck by the constant
employment in them of imagery drawn
from the common life, the universal
experience. It is by the simplest meta-
phors, by constant appeals to needs,
passions, relations which all men under-
stand — the bridegroom and bride, the
guru and disciple, the pilgrim, the
farmer, the migrant bird — that he
drives home his intense conviction of
the reality of the soul's intercourse
with the Transcendent. There are in
his universe no fences between the
"natural" and "supernatural" worlds ;
everything is a part of the creative
Play of God, and therefore — even in
its humblest details — capable of re-
vealing the Player's mind.

INTRODUCTION 21

This willing acceptance of the here-
and-now as a means of representing
supernal realities is a trait common to
the greatest mystics. For them, when
they have achieved at last the true
theopathetic state, all aspects of the
universe possess equal authority as
sacramental declarations of the
Presence of God; and their fearless
employment of homely and physical
symbols — often startling and even
revolting to the unaccustomed taste
— is in direct proportion to the exalta-
tion of their spiritual life. The works
of the great Sufis, and amongst the
Christians of Jacopone da Todi, Ruys-
broeck, Boehme, abound in illustra-
tions of this law. Therefore we must
not be surprised to find in Kablr's
songs — his desperate attempts to com-
municate his ecstasy and persuade
other men to share it — a constant
juxtaposition of concrete and meta-

22 SONGS OF KABIR

physical language; swift alternations
between the most intensely anthropo-
morphic, the most subtly philosophical,
ways of apprehending man's commun-
ion with the Divine. The need for this
alternation, and its entire naturalness
for the mind which employs it, is rooted
in his concept, or vision, of the Nature
of God; and unless we make some at-
tempt to grasp this, we shall not go far
in our understanding of his poems.

Kabir belongs to that small group of
supreme mystics — amongst whom St.
Augustine, Ruysbroeck, and the Sufi
poet Jalalu'ddin RumI are perhaps the
chief — who have achieved that which
we might call the synthetic vision of
God. These have resolved the per-
petual opposition between the personal
and impersonal, the transcendent and
immanent, static and dynamic aspects
of the Divine Nature; between the
Absolute of philosophy and the "sure

INTRODUCTION 23

true Friend" of devotional religion.
They have done this, not by taking
these apparently incompatible concepts
one after the other ; but by ascending
to a height of spiritual intuition at
which they are, as Ruysbroeck said,
"melted and merged in the Unity,"
and perceived as the completing oppo-
sites of a perfect Whole. This pro-
ceeding entails for them — and both
Kabir and Ruysbroeck expressly ac-
knowledge it — a universe of three
orders : Becoming, Being, and that
which is "More than Being," i.e,, God.^
God is here felt to be not the final
abstraction, but the one actuality.
He inspires, supports, indeed inhabits,
both the durational, conditioned, finite
world of Becoming and the uncon-
ditioned, non-successional, infinite
world of Being ; yet utterly transcends
them both. He is the omnipresent

iNos. VIIandXLIX.

24 SONGS OF KABIR

Reality, the ''All-pervading" within
Whom " the worlds are being told like
beads." In His personal aspect He
is the ''beloved Fakir," teaching and
companioning each soul. Considered
as Immanent Spirit, He is "the Mind
within the mind." But all these are at
best partial aspects of His nature,
mutually corrective : as the Persons in
the Christian doctrine of the Trinity
— to which this theological diagram
bears a striking resemblance — repre-
sent different and compensating experi-
ences of the Divine Unity within which
they are resumed. As Ruysbroeck
discerned a plane of reality upon which
"we can speak no more of Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, but only of One Being,
the very substance of the Divine Per-
sons"; so Kabir says that "beyond
both the limited and the limitless is
He, the Pure Being." ^

1 No. VII.

INTRODUCTION 25

Brahma, then, is the Ineffable Fact
compared with which "the distinction
of the Conditioned from the Uncondi-
tioned is but a word": at once the
utterly transcendent One of Absolutist
philosophy, and the personal Lover
of the individual soul — ''common to
all and special to each," as one Chris-
tian mystic has it. The need felt by
Kabir for both these ways of describing
Reality is a proof of the richness and
balance of his spiritual experience;
which neither cosmic nor anthropo-
morphic symbols, taken alone, could
express. More absolute than the Ab-
solute, more personal than the human
mind, Brahma therefore exceeds whilst
He includes all the concepts of phi-
losophy, all the passionate intuitions
of the heart. He is the Great Affirma-
tion, the font of energy, the source of
life and love, the unique satisfaction
of desire. His creative word is the Om

26 SONGS OF KABIR

or "Everlasting Yea." The negative
philosophy which strips from the Di-
vine Nature all Its attributes and —
defining Him only by that which He is
not — reduces Him to an "Empti-
ness," is abhorrent to this most vital
of poets. Brahma, he says, "may
never be found in abstractions." He
is the One Love who pervades the
world, discerned in His fullness only
by the eyes of love; and those who
know Him thus share, though they
may never tell, the joyous and inef-
fable secret of the universe.^

Now Kabir, achieving this synthesis
between the personal and cosmic as-
pects of the Divine Nature, eludes the
three great dangers which threaten
mystical religion.

First, he escapes the excessive emo-
tionalism, the tendency to an ex-
clusively anthropomorphic devotion,

1 Nos. VII, XXVI, LXXVI, XC.

INTRODUCTION 27

which results from an unrestricted cult
of Divine Personality, especially under
an incarnational form; seen in India
in the exaggerations of Krishna wor-
ship, in Europe in the sentimental
extravagances of certain Christian
saints.

Next, he is protected from the soul-
destroying conclusions of pure monism,
inevitable if its logical implications are
pressed home: that is, the identity
of substance between God and the soul,
with its corollary of the total absorp-
tion of that soul in the Being of God
as the goal of the spiritual life. For
the thorough-going monist the soul,
in so far as it is real, is substantially
identical with God; and the true
object of existence is the making patent
of this latent identity, the realization
which finds expression in the Vedantist
formula "That art thou." But Kabir
says that Brahma and the creature are

28 SONGS OF KABIR

"ever distinct, yet ever united" ; that
the wise man knows the spiritual as
well as the material world to "be no
more than His footstool." ^ The soul's
union with Him is a love union, a mut-
ual inhabitation ; that essentially dual-
istie relation which all mystical religion
expresses, not a self -mergence which
leaves no place for personality. This
eternal distinction, the mysterious
union-in-separateness of God and the
soul, is a necessary doctrine of all
sane mysticism; for no scheme which
fails to find a place for it can represent
more than a fragment of that soul's
intercourse with the spiritual world.
Its affirmation was one of the distin-
guishing features of the Vaishnavite
reformation preached by Ramanuja;
the principle of which descended
through Ramananda to Kabir.
Last, the warmly human and direct

1 Nos. VII and IX.

INTRODUCTION 29

apprehension of God as the supreme
Object of love, the soul's comrade,
teacher, and bridegroom, which is so
passionately and frequently expressed
in Kabir's poems, balances and controls
those abstract tendencies which are in-
herent in the metaphysical side of his
vision of Reality : and prevents it from
degenerating into that sterile worship
of intellectual formulae which became
the curse of the Vedantist school. For
the mere intellectualist, as for the mere
pietist, he has little approbation.^ Love
is throughout his "absolute sole Lord" :
the unique source of the more abundant
life which he enjoys, and the common
factor which unites the JBnite and infi-
nite worlds. All is soaked in love :
that love which he described in al-
most Johannine language as the
"Form of God." The whole of crea-
tion is the Play of the Eternal Lover;

1 Cf. especially Nos. LIX, LXVII, LXXV, XC, XCI.

30 SONGS OF KABIR

the living, changing, growing expres-
sion of Brahma's love and joy. As
these twin passions preside over the
generation of human life, so *' beyond
the mists of pleasure and pain," Kabir
finds them governing the creative acts
of God. His manifestation is love;
His activity is joy. Creation springs
from one glad act of affirmation : the
Everlasting Yea, perpetually uttered
within the depths of the Divine Na-
ture.^ In accordance with this con-
cept of the universe as a Love-Game
which eternally goes forward, a progres-
sive manifestation of Brahma — one of
the many notions which he adopted
from the common stock of Hindu reli-
gious ideas, and illuminated by his
poetic genius — movement, rhythm,
perpetual change, forms an integral
part of Kabir's vision of Reality.
Though the Eternal and Absolute is

1 Nos. XVII, XXVI. LXXVI, LXXXII.

INTRODUCTION 31

ever present to his consciousness, yet
his concept of the Divine Nature is
essentially dynamic. It is by the sym-
bols of motion that he most often tries
to convey it to us : as in his constant
reference to dancing, or the strangely
modern picture of that Eternal Swing
of the Universe which is "held by the
cords of love." ^

It is a marked characteristic of mysti-
cal literature that the great contempla-
tives, in their effort to convey to us the
nature of their communion with the
supersensuous, are inevitably driven to
employ some form of sensuous imagery :
coarse and inaccurate as they know
such imagery to be, even at the best.
Our normal human consciousness is so
completely committed to dependence
on the senses, that the fruits of intui-
tion itself are instinctively referred to
them. In that intuition it seems

1 No. XVI.

32 SONGS OF KABIR

to the mystics that all the dim crav-
ings and partial apprehensions of
sense find perfect fulfilment. Hence
their constant declaration that they see
the uncreated light, they hear the celes-
tial melody, they taste the sweetness
of the Lord, they know an ineffable
fragrance, they feel the very contact of
love. *'Him verily seeing and fully
feeling. Him spiritually hearing and
Him delectably smelling and sweetly
swallowing," as Julian of Norwich has
it. In those amongst them who de-
velop psycho-sensorial automatisms,
these parallels between sense and spirit
may present themselves to conscious-
ness in the form of hallucinations : as
the light seen by Suso, the music heard
by RoUe, the celestial perfumes which
filled St. Catherine of Siena's cell, the
physical wounds felt by St. Francis
and St. Teresa. These are excessive
dramatizations of the symbolism under

INTRODUCTION 33

which the mystic tends instinctively
to represent his spiritual intuition to
the surface consciousness. Here, in
the special sense-perception which he
feels to be most expressive of Reality,
his peculiar idiosyncrasies come out.

Now Kabir, as we might expect in
one whose reactions to the spiritual
order were so wide and various, uses
by turn all the symbols of sense. He
tells us that he has "seen without
sight" the effulgence of Brahma, tasted
the divine nectar, felt the ecstatic con-
tact of Reality, smelt the fragrance of
the heavenly flowers. But he was
essentially a poet and musician :
rhythm and harmony were to him the
garments of beauty and truth. Hence
in his lyrics he shows himself to be,
like Richard RoUe, above all things a
musical mystic. Creation, he says
again and again, is full of music : it is
music. At the heart of the Universe

34 SONGS OF KABIR

"white music is blossoming": love
weaves the melody, whilst renunciation
beats the time. It can be heard in the
home as well as in the heavens; dis-
cerned by the ears of common men as
well as by the trained senses of the
ascetic. Moreover, the body of every
man is a lyre on which Brahma, "the
source of all music," plays. Every-
where Kabir discerns the "Unstruck
Music of the Infinite" — that celestial
melody which the angel played to St.
Francis, that ghostly symphony which
filled the soul of RoUe with ecstatic joy .^
The one figure which he adopts from
the Hindu Pantheon and constantly
uses, is that of Krishna the Divine
Flute Player.^ He sees the supernal
music, too, in its visual embodiment, as
rhythmical movement: that mysteri-
ous dance of the universe before the

iNos. XVII, XVIII, XXXIX, XLI, LIV, LXXVI,
LXXXIII, LXXXIX, XCVII. » Nos. L, LIII, LXVIII.

INTRODUCTION 35

face of Brahma, which is at once an
act of worship, and an expression of the
infinite rapture of the Immanent God.^
Yet in this wide and rapturous vision
of the universe Kabir never loses touch
with diurnal existence, never forgets
the common life. His feet are firmly
planted upon earth ; his lofty and pas-
sionate apprehensions are perpetually
controlled by the activity of a sane and
vigorous intellect, by the alert common-
sense so often found in persons of real
mystical genius. The constant insist-
ence on simplicity and directness, the
hatred of all abstractions and philoso-
phisings,^ the ruthless criticism of ex-
ternal religion : these are amongst his
most marked characteristics. God is
the Root whence all manifestations,
"material" and "spiritual," alike pro-
ceed; and God is the only need of

1 Nos. XXVI, XXXII, LXXVI.

2 Nos. LXXV, LXXVIII, LXXX, XC.

36 SONGS OF KABIR

man — "happiness shall be yours when
you come to the Root." ^ Hence to
those who keep their eye on the "one
thing needful," denominations, creeds,
ceremonies, the conclusions of philos-
ophy, the disciplines of asceticism, are
matters of comparative indifference.
They represent merely the different
angles from which the soul may ap-
proach that simple union with Brahma
which is its goal ; and are useful only
in so far as they contribute to this
consummation. So thorough-going is
Kabir's eclecticism, that he seems by
turns Vedantist and Vaishnavite, Pan-
theist and Transcendentalist, Brahman
and Stifi. In the effort to tell the
truth about that ineffable apprehension,
so vast and yet so near, which controls
his life, he seizes and twines together
— as he might have woven together
contrasting threads upon his loom —

1 No. LXXX.

INTRODUCTION 37

symbols and ideas drawn from the most
violent and conflicting philosophies and
faiths. All are needed if he is ever to
suggest the character of that One
whom the Upanishad called "the Sun-
coloured Being who is beyond this
Darkness": as all the colours of the
spectrum are needed if we would dem-
onstrate the simple richness of white
light. In thus adapting traditional
materials to his own use, he follows a
method common amongst the mystics ;
who seldom exhibit any special love
for originality of form. They will pour
their wine into almost any vessel that
comes to hand : generally using by
preference — and lifting to new levels
of beauty and significance — the re-
Ugious or philosophic formulae current
in their own day. Thus we find that
some of Kabir's finest poems have as
their subjects the commonplaces of
Hindu philosophy and religion: the

38 SONGS OF KABIR

Llla or Sport of God, the Ocean of
Bliss, the Bird of the Soul, Maya, the
Hundred-petalled Lotus, and the
"Formless Form." Many, again, are
soaked in Sufi imagery and feeling.
Others use as their material the ordi-
nary surroundings and incidents of
Indian life : the temple bells, the cere-
mony of the lamps, marriage, suttee,
pilgrimage, the characters of the
seasons; all felt by him in their
mystical aspect, as sacraments of the
soul's relation with Brahma. In many
of these a particularly beautiful and
intimate feeling for Nature is shown.^

In the collection of songs here trans-
lated, there will be found examples which
illustrate nearly every aspect of Kabir's
thought, and all the fluctuations of
the mystic's emotion : the ecstasy, the
despair, the still beatitude, the eager
self-devotion, the flashes of wide illumi-

iNos. XV, XXIII, LXVII, LXXXVII, XCVIII.

INTRODUCTION 39

nation, the moments of intimate love.
His wide and deep vision of the uni-
verse, the "Eternal Sport" of creation
(LXXXII), the worlds being "told Uke
beads" within the Being of God (XIV,
XVI, XVII, LXXVI), is here seen bal-
anced by his lovely and delicate sense of
intimate communion with the Divine
Friend, Lover, Teacher of the soul
(X, XI, XXIII, XXXV, LI, LXXXV,
LXXXVI, LXXXVIII, XCII, XCIII;
above all, the beautiful poem XXXIV) .
As these apparently paradoxical views
of Reality are resolved in Brahma,
so all other opposites are reconciled
in Him : bondage and liberty, love and
renunciation, pleasure and pain (XVII,
XXV, XL, LXXXIX). Union with
Him is the one thing that matters to
the soul, its destiny and its need (LI,
LII, LIV, LXX, LXXIV, XCIII,
XCVI) ; and this union, this discovery
of God, is the simplest and most natural

40 SONGS OF KABIR

of all things if we would but grasp it
(XLI, XLVI, LVI, LXXII, LXXVI,
LXXVIII, XCVII). The union, how-
ever, is brought about by love, not by-
knowledge or ceremonial observances
(XXXVIII, LIV, LV, LIX, XCI);
and the apprehension which that union
confers is ineffable — ''neither This
nor That," as Ruysbroeck has it (IX,
XLVI, LXXVI). Real worship and
communion is in Spirit and in Truth
(XL, XLI, LVI, LXIII, LXV, LXX),
therefore idolatry is an insult to the
Divine Lover (XLII, LXIX) and the
devices of professional sanctity are
useless apart from charity and purity
of soul (LIV, LXV, LXvi). Since all
things, and especially the heart of
man, are God-inhabited, God-possessed
(XXVI, LVI, LXXVI, LXXXIX,
XCVII), He may best be found in the
here-and-now : in the normal, human,
bodily existence, the "mud " of material

INTRODUCTION 41

life (in, IV, VI, XXI, XXXIX, XL,
XLIII, XLVIII, LXXII). "We can

reach the goal without crossing the
road" (LXXVI) — not the cloister but
the home is the proper theatre of man's
efforts : and if he cannot find God
there, he need not hope for success by
going farther afield. "In the home is
reality." There love and detachment,
bondage and freedom, joy and pain play
by turns upon the soul ; and it is from
their conflict that the Unstruck Music
of the Infinite proceeds. "Kabir says :
None but Brahma can evoke its
melodies."

Ill

This version of Kabir's songs is
chiefly the work of Mr. Rabindranath
Tagore, the trend of whose mystical
genius makes him — as all who read
these poems will see — a peculiarly
sympathetic interpreter of Kabir's

42 SONGS OF KABIR

vision and thought. It has been based
upon the printed Hindi text with
Bengah translation of Mr. Kshiti Mo-
han Sen ; who has gathered from many-
sources — sometimes from books and
manuscripts, sometimes from the hps
of wandering ascetics and minstrels —
a large collection of poems and hymns
to which Kabir's name is attached, and
carefully sifted the authentic songs
from the many spurious works now
attributed to him. These painstaking
labours alone have made the present
undertaking possible.

We have also had before us a manu-
script English translation of 116 songs
made by Mr. A jit Kumar Chakravarty
from Mr. Kshiti Mohan Sen's text,
and a prose essay upon Kabir from
the same hand. From these we have
derived great assistance. A consider-
able number of readings from the
translation have been adopted by us;

INTRODUCTION 43

whilst several of the facts mentioned
in the essay have been incorporated
into this introduction. Our most grate-
ful thanks are due to Mr. A jit Kumar
Chakravarty for the extremely gener-
ous and unselfish manner in which he
has placed his work at our disposal.

E. U.

SONGS OF KABIR
I

I. 13. mo ko kahdnd hunro vande

O SERVANT, where dost thou
seek Me?
Lo ! I am beside thee.
I am neither in temple nor in mosque :

I am neither in Kaaba nor in

Kailash :
Neither am I in rites and ceremonies,

nor in Yoga and renunciation.
If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at

once see Me : thou shalt meet Me

in a moment of time.
Kabir says, ''O Sadhu! God is the

breath of all breath."

II

I. 16. Santan jdt na pucho nirguniydn

IT is needless to ask of a saint the
caste to which he belongs ;

45

46 SONGS OF KABIR

For the priest, the warrior, the trades-
man, and all the thirty-six castes,
alike are seeking for God.

It is but folly to ask what the caste of
a saint may be ;

The barber has sought God, the washer-
woman, and the carpenter —

Even Raidas was a seeker after God.

The Rishi Swapacha was a tanner by
caste.

Hindus and Moslems alike have
achieved that End, where remains
no mark of distinction.

m

^ I. 57. sddho bhdi, jivat hi karo dsd

O FRIEND ! hope for Him whilst
you live, know whilst you live,
understand whilst you hve: for
in life deliverance abides.
If your bonds be not broken whilst
living, what hope of dehverance
in death?

SONGS OF KABIR 47

It is but an empty dream, that the soul
shall have union with Him because
it has passed from the body :

If He is found now. He is found then.

If not, we do but go to dwell in the City
of Death.

If you have union now, you shall have
it hereafter.

Bathe in the truth, know the true Guru,
have faith in the true Name !

Kabir says: "It is the Spirit of the
quest which helps ; I am the slave
of this Spirit of the quest."

IV

I. 58. bdgo nd jd re nd jd

DO not go to the garden of flowers !
O Friend ! go not there ;
In your body is the garden of flowers.
Take your seat on the thousand petals
of the lotus, and there gaze on the
Infinite Beauty.

48 SONGS OF KABIR

V

I. 63. avadhu mdyd taji na jdi

TELL me, Brother, how can I re-
nounce Maya ?
When I gave up the tying of ribbons,

still I tied my garment about me :
When I gave up tying my garment,

still I covered my body in its folds.
So, when I give up passion, I see that

anger remains ;
And when I renounce anger, greed is

with me still ;
And when greed is vanquished, pride

and vainglory remain ;
When the mind is detached and casts

Maya away, still it chngs to the

letter.
Kabir says, "Listen to me, dear Sadhu !

the true path is rarely found."

SONGS OF KABIR 49

VI

I. 83. candd jhalkai yahi ghat mdhln

THE moon shines in my body, but
my blind eyes cannot see it :
The moon is within me, and so is the

sun.
The unstruck drum of Eternity is
sounded within me; but my deaf
ears cannot hear it.

So long as man clamours for the / and

the Mine, his works are as naught :
When all love of the / and the Mine is

dead, then the work of the Lord

is done.
For work has no other aim than the

getting of knowledge :
When that comes, then work is put

away.

The flower blooms for the fruit : when
the fruit comes, the flower withers.

50 SONGS OF KABIR

The musk is in the deer, but it seeks it
not within itself: it wanders in
quest of grass.

VII

I. 85. Sddho, Brahm alakh lakhdyd

WHEN He Himself reveals Him-
self, Brahma brings into mani-
festation That which can never be
seen.

As the seed is in the plant, as the shade
is in the tree, as the void is in the
sky, as infinite forms are in the
void —

So from beyond the Infinite, the Infi-
nite comes ; and from the Infinite
the finite extends.

The creature is in Brahma, and Brahma
is in the creature : they are ever
distinct, yet ever united.

He Himself is the tree, the seed, and
the germ.

SONGS OF KABIR 51

He Himself is the flower, the fruit, and
the shade.

He Himself is the sun, the light, and
the hghted.

He Himself is Brahma, creature, and
Maya.

He Himself is the manifold form, the
infinite space ;

He is the breath, the word, and the
meaning.

He Himself is the limit and the limit-
less : and beyond both the limited
and the limitless is He, the Pure
Being.

He is the Immanent Mind in Brahma
and in the creature.

The Supreme Soul is seen within the

soul.
The Point is seen within the Supreme

Soul,
And within the Point, the reflection is

seen again.

52 SONGS OF KABIR

Kabir is blest because he has this
supreme vision !

VIII
I. 101. is ghat antar hag haglce

WITHIN this earthen vessel are
bowers and groves, and within
it is the Creator :

Within this vessel are the seven oceans
and the unnumbered stars.

The touchstone and the jewel-ap-
praiser are within ;

And within this vessel the Eternal
soundeth, and the spring wells up.

Kabir says : ''Listen to me, my Friend !
My beloved Lord is within."

IX

I. 104. aisd lo nahin taisd lo

OHOW may I ever express that
secret word ^
O how can I say He is not like this, and
He is like that ?

SONGS OF KABIR 53

If I say that He is within me, the uni-
verse is ashamed :
If I say that He is without me, it is

falsehood.
He makes the inner and the outer

worlds to be indivisibly one ;
The conscious and the unconscious,

both are His footstools.
He is neither manifest nor hidden, he

is neither revealed nor unre-

vealed :
There are no words to tell that which

He is.

X

I. 121. iohi mori lagan lagdye re
phaklr wd

TO Thee Thou hast drawn my love,
O Fakir !
I was sleeping in my own chamber, and
Thou didst awaken me ; striking
me with Thy voice, O Fakir !
I was drowning in the deeps of the

54 SONGS OF KABIR

ocean of this world, and Thou
didst save me: upholding me
with Thine arm, O Fakir !

Only one word and no second — and
Thou hast made me tear off all
my bonds, O Fakir !

Kabir says, "Thou hast united Thy
heart to my heart, O Fakir !"

XI

I. 131. nis din khelat rahl sahhiyan
sang

I PLAYED day and night with my
comrades, and now I am greatly
afraid.

So high is my Lord's palace, my heart
trembles to mount its stairs : yet
I must not be shy, if I would enjoy
His love.

My heart must cleave to my Lover;
I must withdraw my veil, and
meet Him with all my body :

SONGS OF KABIR 55

Mine eyes must perform the ceremony
of the lamps of love.

Kabir says : "Listen to me, friend : he
understands who loves. If you
feel not love's longing for your
Beloved One, it is vain to adorn
your body, vain to put unguent
on your eyelids."

XII

II. 24. hamsd, Icaho purdtan vat

TELL me, O Swan, your ancient
tale.
From what land do you come, O Swan ?

to what shore will you fly ?
Where would you take your rest, O
Swan, and what do you seek ?

Even this morning, O Swan, awake,

arise, follow me !
There is a land where no doubt nor

sorrow have rule : where the terror

of Death is no more.

56 SONGS OF KABIR

There the woods of spring are a-bloom,
and the fragrant scent ''He is Me"
is borne on the wind :

There the bee of the heart is deeply
immersed, and desires no other joy.

XIII

II. 37. anagadhiyd devd

OLORD Increate, who will serve
Thee.?
Every votary offers his worship to the

God of his own creation : each day

he receives service —
None seek Him, the Perfect : Brahma,

the Indivisible Lord.
They believe in ten Avatars; but no

Avatar can be the Infinite Spirit,

for he suffers the results of his

deeds :
The Supreme One must be other than

this.
The Yogi, the Sanyasi, the Ascetics,

are disputing one with another :

SONGS OF KABIR 57

Kabir says, " O brother ! he who has
seen that radiance of love, he is
saved."

XIV

II. 56, dariyd hi lahar dariydo hai jl

THE river and its waves are one
surf: where is the difference

between the river and its waves ?
When the wave rises, it is the water;

and when it falls, it is the same

water again. Tell me. Sir, where

is the distinction ?
Because it has been named as wave,

shall it no longer be considered as

water ?

Within the Supreme Brahma, the
worlds are being told like beads :

Look upon that rosary with the eyes of
wisdom.

58 SONGS OF KABIR

XV

II. 57. janh Ichelat vasant riturdj

WHERE Spring, the lord of the
seasons, reigneth, there the

Unstruck Music sounds of itself.
There the streams of light flow in all

directions ;
Few are the men who can cross to that

shore !
There, where milhons of Krishnas stand

with hands folded.
Where millions of Vishnus bow their

heads.
Where millions of Brahmas are reading

the Vedas,
Where millions of Shivas are lost in

contemplation,
Where millions of Indras dwell in the sky.
Where the demi-gods and the munis

are unnumbered.
Where millions of Saras watis, Goddess

of Music, play on the vina —

SONGS OF KABIR 59

There is my Lord self -revealed : and
the scent of sandal and flowers
dwells in those deeps.

XVI

II. 59. janh cet acet khambh dou

BETWEEN the poles of the con-
scious and the unconscious, there

has the mind made a swing :
Thereon hang all beings and all worlds,

and that swing never ceases its

sway.
Millions of beings are there: the sun

and the moon in their courses are

there :
Millions of ages pass, and the swing

goes on.
All swing ! the sky and the earth and

the air and the water; and the

Lord Himself taking form :
And the sight of this has made Kabir

a servant.

60 SONGS OF KABIR

XVII

II. 61. grah candra tapanjot varat hai

THE light of the sun, the moon, and
the stars shines bright :
The melody of love swells forth, and
the rhythm of love's detachment
beats the time.
Day and night, the chorus of music fills

the heavens ; and Kabir says,
"My Beloved One gleams like the
lightning flash in the sky."

Do you know how the moments per-
form their adoration ?

Waving its row of lamps, the universe
sings in worship day and night,

There are the hidden banner and the
secret canopy :

There the sound of the unseen bells is
heard.

Kabir says: "There adoration never
ceases ; there the Lord of the Uni-
verse sitteth on His throne."

SONGS OF KABIR 61

The whole world does its works and
commits its errors : but few are
the lovers who know the Beloved.

The devout seeker is he who mingles
in his heart the double currents of
love and detachment, hke the
mingling of the streams of Ganges
and Jumna ;

In his heart the sacred water flows day
and night ; and thus the round of
births and deaths is brought to an
end.

Behold what wonderful rest is in the
Supreme Spirit ! and he enjoys it,
who makes himself meet for it.

Held by the cords of love, the swing of
the Ocean of Joy sways to and fro ;
and a mighty sound breaks forth
in song.

See what a lotus blooms there without
water ! and Kabir says

"My heart's bee drinks its nectar."

62 SONGS OF KABIR

What a wonderful lotus it is, that
blooms at the heart of the spinning
wheel of the universe ! Only a
few pure souls know of its true
delight.

Music is all around it, and there the
heart partakes of the joy of the
Infinite Sea.

Kabir says: "Dive thou into that
Ocean of sweetness : thus let all
errors of life and of death flee
away."

Behold how the thirst of the five senses
is quenched there ! and the three
forms of misery are no more !

Kabir says: "It is the sport of the
Unattainable One : look within,
and behold how the moon-beams
of that Hidden One shine in you."

There falls the rhythmic beat of Ufe
and death :

SONGS OF KABIR 63

Rapture wells forth, and all space is
radiant with light.

There the Unstruck Music is sounded ;
it is the music of the love of the
three worlds.

There millions of lamps of sun and of
moon are burning ;

There the drum beats, and the lover
swings in play.

There love-songs resound, and light
rains in showers; and the wor-
shipper is entranced in the taste
of the heavenly nectar.

Look upon life and death ; there is no
separation between them.

The right hand and the left hand are
one and the same.

Kabir says: "There the wise man is
speechless ; for this truth may never
be found in Vedas or in books."

I have had my Seat on the Self -poised
One,

64 SONGS OF KABIR

I have drunk of the Cup of the In-
effable,

I have found the Key of the Mystery,

I have reached the Root of Union.

Travelhng by no track, I have come
to the Sorrowless Land : very
easily has the mercy of the great
Lord come upon me.

They have sung of Him as infinite and
unattainable: but I in my medi-
tations have seen Him without
sight.

That is indeed the sorrowless land, and
none know the path that leads
there :

Only he who is on that path has surely
transcended all sorrow.

Wonderful is that land of rest, to which
no merit can win ;

It is the wise who has seen it, it is the
wise who has sung of it.

This is the Ultimate Word : but can
any express its marvellous savour ?

SONGS OF KABIR 65

He who has savoured it once, he

knows what joy it can give.
Kabir says : "Knowing it, the ignorant

man becomes wise, and the wise

man becomes speechless and silent.
The worshipper is utterly inebriated.
His wisdom and his detachment are

made perfect ;
He drinks from the cup of the in-

breathings and the outbreathings

of love."

There the whole sky is filled with
sound, and there that music is
made without fingers and without
strings ;

There the game of pleasure and pain
does not cease.

Kabir says: "If you merge your life
in the Ocean of Life, you will find
your hfe in the Supreme Land of
Bliss."

What a frenzy of ecstasy there is in

66 SONGS OF KABIR

every hour ! and the worshipper is
pressing out and drinking the
essence of the hours : he Uves in
the hfe of Brahma.

I speak truth, for I have accepted truth
in hfe; I am now attached to
truth, I have swept all tinsel away.

Kabir says: "Thus is the worshipper
set free from fear; thus have all
errors of hfe and of death left
him."

There the sky is filled with music :

There it rains nectar :

There the harp-strings jingle, and there

the drums beat.
What a secret splendour is there, in

the mansion of the sky !
There no mention is made of the rising

and the setting of the sun ;
In the ocean of manifestation, which is

the light of love, day and night

are felt to be one.

SONGS OF KABIR 67

Joy for ever, no sorrow, no struggle !
There have I seen joy filled to the brim,

perfection of joy ;
No place for error is there.
Kabir says: "There have I witnessed

the sport of One Bhss !"

I have known in my body the sport of
the universe : I have escaped from
the error of this world.

The inward and the outward are be-
come as one sky, the Infinite and
the finite are united : I am drunken
with the sight of this All !

This Light of Thine fulfils the uni-
verse : the lamp of love that burns
on the salver of knowledge.

Kabir says : " There error cannot enter,
and the conflict of life and death
is felt no more."

68 SONGS OF KABIR

XVIII

11. 77. maddh dkds dp jahan baithe

THE middle region of the sky,
wherein the spirit dwelleth, is
radiant with the music of hght ;

There, where the pure and white music
blossoms, my Lord takes His de-
hght.

In the wondrous effulgence of each hair
of His body, the brightness of mill-
ions of suns and of moons is lost.

On that shore there is a city, where the
rain of nectar pours and pours, and
never ceases.

Kabir says: "Come, O Dharmadas !
and see my great Lord's Durbar."

XIX

II. 20. paramdtam guru nikat virdjain

OMY heart ! the Supreme Spirit,
the great Master, is near you :
wake, oh wake !
Run to the feet of your Beloved : for

SONGS OF KABIR 69

your Lord stands near to your
head.
,1 You have slept for unnumbered ages ;
this morning will you not wake?

XX

II. 22. man tu "par utar kanh jaihau

TO what shore would you cross, O
my heart .^ there is no traveller
before you, there is no road :

Where is the movement, where is the
rest, on that shore ?

There is no water; no boat, no boat-
man, is there ;

There is not so much as a rope to tow
the boat, nor a man to draw it.

No earth, no sky, no time, no thing, is
there : no shore, no ford !

There, there is neither body nor mind :
and where is the place that shall
still the thirst of the soul.f^ You
shall find naught in that emptiness.

Be strong, and enter into your own

70 SONGS OF KABIR

body: for there your foothold is
firm. Consider it well, O my
heart ! go not elsewhere.
Kabir says: "Put all imaginations
away, and stand fast in that which
you are."

XXI

II. 33. ghar ghar dipak varai

LAMPS burn in every house, O
blind one ! and you cannot see
them.

One day your eyes shall suddenly be
opened, and you shall see : and the
fetters of death will fall from you.

There is nothing to say or to hear,
there is nothing to do : it is he
who is living, yet dead, who shall
never die again.

Because he lives in solitude, therefore
the Yogi says that his home is far
away.

SONGS OF KABIR 71

Your Lord is near : yet you are climb-
ing the palm-tree to seek Him.

The Brahman priest goes from house
to house and initiates people into
faith :

Alas ! the true fountain of life is beside
you, and you have set up a stone
to worship.

Kabir says : "I may never express how
sweet my Lord is. Yoga and the
telling of beads, virtue and vice —
these are naught to Him."

XXII

XL 38. Sddho, so satgur mohin bhdwai

O BROTHER, my heart yearns for
that true Guru, who fills the cup
of true love, and drinks of it him-
self, and offers it then to me.
He removes the veil from the eyes, and

gives the true Vision of Brahma :
He reveals the worlds in Him, and

72 SONGS OF KABIR

makes me to hear the Unstruck

Music :
He shows joy and sorrow to be one :
He fills all utterance with love.
Kabir says: "Verily he has no fear,

who has such a Guru to lead him

to the shelter of safety !"

XXIII

II. 40. tinwir sdnjh kd gahird dwai

THE shadows of evening fall thick
and deep, and the darkness of love

envelops the body and the mind.
Open the window to the west, and be

lost in the sky of love ;
Drink the sweet honey that steeps the

petals of the lotus of the heart.
Receive the waves in your body : what

splendour is in the region of the

sea !
Hark ! the sounds of conches and bells

are rising.

SONGS OF KABIR 73

Kabirsays: " O brother, behold ! the
Lord is in this vessel of my body."

XXIV

II. 48. jis se rahani apdr jagat men

MORE than all else do I cherish at
heart that love which makes
me to live a limitless life in this
world.

It is like the lotus, which lives in the
water and blooms in the water:
yet the water cannot touch its
petals, they open beyond its reach.

It is like a wife, who enters the fire at
the bidding of love. She burns
and lets others grieve, yet never
dishonours love.

This ocean of the world is hard to cross :
its waters are very deep. Kabir
says: "Listen to me, O Sadhu !
few there are who have reached its
end."

74 SONGS OF KABIR

XXV

II. 45. Hari ne apnd dp chipdyd

MY Lord hides Himself, and my
Lord wonderfully reveals Him-
self:

My Lord has encompassed me with
hardness, and my Lord has cast
down my limitations.

My Lord brings to me words of sorrow
and words of joy, and He Himself
heals their strife.

I will offer my body and mind to my
Lord : I will give up my life, but
never can I forget my Lord !

XXVI

II. 75. onkdr savai hoi sirjai

ALL things are created by the Om ;
The love-form is His body.
He is without form, without quality,

without decay :
Seek thou union with Him !

SONGS OF KABIR 75

But that formless God takes a thousand

forms in the eyes of His creatures:
He is pure and indestructible,
His form is infinite and fathomless.
He dances in rapture, and waves of

form arise from His dance.
The body and the mind cannot contain

themselves, when they are touched

by His great joy.
He is immersed in all consciousness, all

joys, and all sorrows ;
He has no beginning and no end ;
He holds all within His bhss.

XXVII

II. 81. satgur sol day a kar dlnhd

IT is the mercy of my true Guru that
has made me to know the un-
known ;
I have learned from Him how to walk
without feet, to see without eyes,
to hear without ears, to drink

76 SONGS OF KABIR

without mouth, to fly without
wings ;

I have brought my love and my medi-
tation into the land where there
is no sun and moon, nor day and
night.

Without eating, I have tasted of the
sweetness of nectar; and without
water, I have quenched my thirst.

Where there is the response of delight,
there is the fullness of joy. Be-
fore whom can that joy be uttered ?

Kabir says: "The Guru is great be-
yond words, and great is the good
fortune of the disciple." ,

XXVIII

II. 85. nirgun age sargun ndcai

BEFORE the Unconditioned, the
Conditioned dances :
"Thou and I are one!" this trumpet
proclaims.

SONGS OF KABIR 77

The Guru comes, and bows down before

the disciple :
This is the greatest of wonders.

XXIX

II. 87. Kahlr hah se bhaye vairdgl

GORAKHNATH asks Kabir:
"Tell me, O Kabir, when did
your vocation begin? Where did
your love have its rise?"

Kabir answers :

*'When He whose forms are manifold
had not begun His play : when
there was no Guru, and no disciple :
when the world was not spread
out: when the Supreme One was
alone —

Then I became an ascetic; then, O
Gorakh, my love was drawn to
Brahma.

Brahma did not hold the crown on his
head; the god Vishnu was not

78 SONGS OF KABIR

anointed as king; the power of
Shiva was still unborn; when 1
was instructed in Yoga.

I became suddenly revealed in Benares,

and Ramananda illumined me ;
I brought with me the thirst for the

Infinite, and I have come for the

meeting with Him.
In simplicity will I unite with the

Simple One; my love will surge

up.
O Gorakh, march thou with His

music!"

XXX

II. 95. yd tarivar men eh pakheru

ON this tree is a bird: it dances
in the joy of life.
None knows where it is : and who
knows what the burden of its
music may be?
Where the branches throw a deep

SONGS OF KABIR 79

shade, there does it have its nest :
and it comes in the evening and
flieslaway in the morning, and says
not a word of that which it means.

None tell me of this bird that sings
within me.

It is neither coloured nor colourless : it
has neither form nor outline :

It sits in the shadow of love.

It dwells within the Unattainable, the
Infinite, and the Eternal; and no
one marks when it comes and goes.

Kabir says : "O brother Sadhu ! deep
is the mystery. Let wise men seek
to know where rests that bird."

XXXI

II. 100. nis din sdlai ghdw

A SORE pain troubles me day and
night, and I cannot sleep ;
I long for the meeting with my Beloved,
and my father's house gives me
pleasure no more.

80 SONGS OF KABIR

The gates of the sky are opened, the

temple is revealed :
I meet my husband, and leave at His

feet the offering of my body and

my mind.

XXXII

II. 103. nacu re mero man matta hoy

DANCE, my heart ! dance to-day
with joy.

The strains of love fill the days and
the nights with music, and the
world is listening to its melodies :

Mad with joy, life and death dance to
the rhythm of this music. The
hills and the sea and the earth
dance. The world of man dances
in laughter and tears.

Why put on the robe of the monk, and
live aloof from the world in lonely
pride ?

Behold ! my heart dances in the de-

SONGS OF KABIR 81

light of a hundred arts; and the
Creator is well pleased.

XXXIII
II. 105. man mast hud tab Jcyon bole

WHERE is the need of words,
when love has made drunken
the heart ?

I have wrapped the diamond in my
cloak; why open it again and
again ? »

When its load was light, the pan of the
balance went up : now it is full,
where is the need for weighing ?

The swan has taken its flight to the
lake beyond the mountains ; why
should it search for the pools and
ditches any more ?

Your Lord dwells within you : why
need your outward eyes be opened ?

Kabir says : "Listen, my brother ! my
Lord, who ravishes my eyes, has
united Himself with me."

82 SONGS OF KABIR

XXXIV

II. 110. mohi tohi Idgl kaise chute

HOW could the love between Thee
and me sever ?
As the leaf of the lotus abides on the

water : so Thou art my Lord, and

I am Thy servant.
As the night-bird Chakor gazes all

night at the moon : so Thou art

my Lord and I am Thy servant.
From the beginning until the ending

of time, there is love between

Thee and me ; and how shall such

love be extinguished ?
Kabirsays : " As the river enters into the

ocean, so my heart touches Thee."

XXXV

11. 113. Vdlam dwo hamdre geh re

MY body and my mind are grieved
for the want of Thee ;
O my Beloved ! come to my house.

SONGS OF KABIR 83

When people say I am Thy bride, I am
ashamed ; for I have not touched
Thy heart with my heart.

Then what is this love of mine ? I have
no taste for food, I have no sleep ;
my heart is ever restless within
doors and without.

As water is to the thirsty, so is the
lover to the bride. Who is there
that will carry my news to my
Beloved ?

Kabir is restless : he is dying for sight
of Him.

XXXVI

II. 126. jag piydrl ah kd sowai

O FRIEND, awake, and sleep no
more !
The night is over and gone, would you

lose your day also ?
Others, who have wakened, have re-
ceived jewels ;

84 SONGS OF KABIR

O foolish woman ! you have lost all

whilst you slept.
Your lover is wise, and you are foohsh,

O woman !
You never prepared the bed of your

husband :
O mad one ! you passed your time in

silly play.
Your youth was passed in vain, for you

did not know your Lord ;
Wake, wake ! See ! your bed is empty :

He left you in the night.
Kabir says: ''Only she wakes, whose

heart is pierced with the arrow

of His music."

XXXVIl

I. 36. sur parkas, tank rain kahan
pdiye

WHERE is the night, when the
sun is shining.^ If it is night,
then the sun withdraws its light.
Where knowledge is, can ignorance en-

SONGS OF KABIR 85

dure ? If there be ignorance, then
knowledge must die.
If there be lust, how can love be there ?
Where there is love, there is no lust.

Lay hold on your sword, and join in
the fight ! Fight, O my brother,
as long as life lasts.

Strike off your enemy's head, and
there make an end of him quickly :
then come, and bow your head at
your King's Durbar.

He who is brave, never forsakes the
battle : he who flies from it is no
true fighter.

In the field of this body a great war
goes forward, against passion, an-
ger, pride, and greed :

It is in the kingdom of truth, content-
ment and purity, that this battle
is raging; and the sword that
rings forth most loudly is the
sword of His Name.

86 SONGS OF KABIR

Kabir says: "When a brave knight
takes the jfield, a host of cowards
is put to flight.

It is a hard fight and a weary one, this
fight of the truth-seeker : for the
vow of the truth-seeker is more
hard than that of the warrior,
or of the widowed wife who would
follow her husband.

For the warrior fights for a few hours,
and the widow's struggle with
death is soon ended :

But the truth-seeker's battle goes on
day and night, as long as life lasts
it never ceases."

XXXVIII

I. 50. hhram ke tdld lagd mahal ye

THE lock of error shuts the gate,
open it with the key of love :
Thus, by opening the door, thou shalt
wake the Beloved.

SONGS OF KABIR 87

Kabir says : "O brother ! do not pass
by such good fortune as this."

XXXIX

I. 59. Sddho, yah tan thdth tanvurekd

O FRIEND ! this body is His lyre ;
He tightens its strings, and draws
from it the melody of Brahma.
If the strings snap and the keys
slacken, then to dust must this in-
strument of dust return :
Kabir says: *'None but Brahma can
evoke its melodies."

H

XL

I. 65, avadhu bhule ho ghar Idwe

E is dear to me indeed who can
call back the wanderer to his
home. In the home is the true
union, in the home is enjoyment of
life: why should I forsake my
home and wander in the forest?

88 SONGS OF KABIR

If Brahma helps me to reaHze
truth, verily I will find both bond-
age and deliverance in home.

He is dear to me indeed who has power
to dive deep into Brahma ; whose
mind loses itself with ease in His
contemplation.

He is dear to me who knows Brahma,
^nd can dwell on His supreme
truth in meditation ; and who can
play the melody of the Infinite by
uniting love and renunciation in life.

Kabir says : "The home is the abiding
place ; in the home is reality ; the
home helps to attain Him Who is
real. So stay where you are, and all
things shall come to you in time.'*

XLI

I. 76. santo sakaj samddh bhall

OSADHU ! the simple union is the
best.
Since the day when I met with my

SONGS OF KABIR 89

Lord, there has been no end to

the sport of our love.
I shut not my eyes, I close not my ears,

I do not mortify my body ;
I see with eyes open and smile, and

behold His beauty everywhere :
I utter His Name, and whatever I see,

it reminds me of Him ; whatever

I do, it becomes His worship.
The rising and the setting are one to

me; all contradictions are solved.
Wherever I go, I move round Him,
All I achieve is His service :
When I lie down, I lie prostrate at His

feet.

He is the only adorable one to me: I

have none other.
My tongue has left off impure words,

it sings His glory day and night :
Whether I rise or sit down, I can never

forget Him; for the rhythm of

His music beats in my ears.

90 SONGS OF KABIR

Kabir says: "My heart is frenzied,
and I disclose in my soul what is
hidden. I am immersed in that
one great bliss which transcends all
pleasure and pain."

XLII

I. 79. tlrath men to sab pdnl hai

THERE is nothing but water at the
holy bathing places ; and I know
that they are useless, for I have
bathed in them.

The images are all lifeless, they cannot
speak; I know, for I have cried
aloud to them.

The Purana and the Koran are mere
words ; lifting up the curtain, I
have seen.

Kabir gives utterance to the words of
experience; and he knows very
well that all other things are un-
true.

SONGS OF KABIR 91

XLni

I. 82. pdni vie mm piydsl

I LAUGH when I hear that the fish
in the water is thirsty:
You do not see that the Real is in your
home, and you wander from forest
to forest Hstlessly !
Here is the truth ! Go where you will,
to Benares or to Mathura ; if you
do not find your soul, the world is
unreal to you.

XLIV

I. 93. gagan math gaib nisdn gade

THE Hidden Banner is planted in
the temple of the sky ; there the
blue canopy decked with the moon
and set with bright jewels is spread.
There the light of the sun and the
moon is shining: still your mind
to silence before that splendour.

92 SONGS OF KABIR

Kabir says : " He who has drunk of this
nectar, wanders hke one who is
mad."

XLV

I. 97. sddho, ho hai kanh se dyo
HO are you, and whence do you

w

come ?

Where dwells that Supreme Spirit, and
how does He have His sport with
all created things ?

The fire is in the wood ; but who
awakens it suddenly .f^ Then it
turns to ashes, and where goes the
force of the fire .?

The true guru teaches that He has
neither Umit nor infinitude.

Kabir says: "Brahma suits His lan-
guage to the understanding of His
hearer."

SONGS OF KABIR 93

XLVI

I. 98. Sddho, sahajai kdyd sodho

OSADHU ! purify your body in
the simple way.
As the seed is within the banyan tree,

and within the seed are the flowers,

the fruits, and the shade :
So the germ is within the body, and

within that germ is the body again.
The fire, the air, the water, the earth,

and the aether; you cannot have

these outside of Him.
O Kazi, O Pundit, consider it well:

what is there that is not in the

soul ?
The water-filled pitcher is placed upon

water, it has water within and

without.
It should not be given a name, lest it

call forth the error of dualism.
Kabir says : "Listen to the Word, the

Truth, which is your essence. He

94 SONGS OF KABIR

speaks the Word to Himself ; and
He Himself is the Creator."

XLVII

I. 102. tarvar ek mul vin thddd

THERE is a strange tree, which
stands without roots and bears
fruits without blossoming ;

It has no branches and no leaves, it is
lotus all over.

Two birds sing there ; one Is the Guru,
and the other the disciple :

The disciple chooses the manifold fruits
of life and tastes them, and the
Guru beholds him in joy.

What Kabir says is hard to understand :
" The bird is beyond seeking, yet it
is most clearly visible. The Form-
less is in the midst of all forms. I
sing the glory of forms."

SONGS OF KABIR 95

XLVIII

I. 107. calat mansd acal hlnhl

I HAVE stilled my restless mind, and
my heart is radiant : for in That-
ness I have seen beyond That-ness,
in company I have seen the Com-
rade Himself.

Living in bondage, I have set myself
free : I have broken away from
the clutch of all narrowness.

Kabir says: *'I have attained the
unattainable, and my heart is
coloured with the colour of love."

XLIX
I. 105. jo dlsai, so to hai nakln

THAT which you see is not : and for
that which is, you have no words.
Unless you see, you believe not : what

is told you you cannot accept.
He who is discerning knows by the word ;
and the ignorant stands gaping.

96 SONGS OF.KABIR

Some contemplate the Formless, and
others meditate on form : but the
wise man knows that Brahma is
beyond both.

That beauty of His is not seen of the
eye : that metre of His is not heard
of the ear.

Kabir says : "He who has found both
love and renunciation never de-
scends to death."

L

I. 126. murall bajat akhand saddye

THE flute of the Infinite is played
without ceasing, and its sound is
love:
When love renounces all limits, it

reaches truth.
How widely the fragrance spreads ! It
has no end, nothing stands in its
way.
The form of this melody is bright hke

SONGS OF KABIR 97

a million suns : incomparably
sounds the vina, the vina of the
notes of truth.

LI

I. 129. sahhiyo ham hurt bhal vala-
mdsl

DEAR friend, I am eager to meet
my Beloved ! My youth has
flowered, and the pain of separa-
tion from Him troubles my breast.

I am wandering yet in the alleys of
knowledge without purpose, but I
have received His news in these
alleys of knowledge.

I have a letter from my Beloved : in
this letter is an unutterable mes-
sage, and now my fear of death is
done away.

Kabir says : "O my loving friend ! I
have got for my gift the Deathless
One."

98 SONGS OF KABIR

LII

I. 130. sdin vin dard kareje hoy

WHEN I am parted from my
Beloved, my heart is full of
misery : I have no comfort in the
day, I have no sleep in the night.
To whom shall I tell my sorrow .^^

The night is dark; the hours slip by.
Because my Lord is absent, I start
up and tremble with fear.

Kabirsays: " Listen, my friend ! there
is no other satisfaction, save in the
encounter with the Beloved."

LIII

I. 122. kaum murall sahd sun dnand
bhayo

WHAT is that flute whose music
thrills me with joy ?
The flame burns without a lamp ;
The lotus blossoms without a root ;

SONGS OF KABIR 99

Flowers bloom in clusters ;

The moon-bird is devoted to the moon ;

With all its heart the rain-bird longs

for the shower of rain ;
But upon whose love does the Lover

concentrate His entire life ?

LIV
I. 112. suntd nahl dhun hi khabar

HAVE you not heard the tune
which the Unstruck Music is
playing? In the midst of the
chamber the harp of joy is gently
and sweetly played ; and where is
the need of going without to hear
it?

If you have not drunk of the nectar of
that One Love, what boots it
though you should purge yourself
of all stains ?

The Kazi is searching the words of the
Koran, and instructing others :

100 SONGS OF KABIR

but if his heart be not steeped in
that love, what does it avail,
though he be a teacher of men ?

The Yogi dyes his garments with red :
but if he knows naught of that
colour of love, what does it avail
though his garments be tinted ?

Kabir says: "Whether I be in the
temple or the balcony, in the camp
or in the flower garden, I tell you
truly that every moment my Lord
is taking His delight in me."

LV

I. 73. bhakti kd mdrag jhind re

SUBTLE is the path of love !
Therein there is no asking and
no not-asking.
There one loses one's self at His feet.
There one is immersed in the joy of
the seeking : plunged in the deeps
of love as the fish in the water.

SONGS OF KABIR 101

The lover is never slow in offering his

head for his Lord's service.
Kabir declares the secret of this love.

LVI

I. 68. bhdi hoi satguru sard kahdwai

HE is the real Sadhu, who can re-
veal the form of the Formless to

the vision of these eyes :
Who teaches the simple way of attain-
ing Him, that is other than rites

or ceremonies :
Who does not make you close the doors,

and hold the breath, and renounce

the world :
Who makes you perceive the Supreme

Spirit wherever the mind attaches

itself :
Who teaches you to be still in the midst

of all your activities.
Ever immersed in bliss, having no fear

in his mind, he keeps the spirit of

102 SONGS OF KABIR

union in the midst of all enjoy-
ments.
The infinite dwelling of the Infinite

Being is everywhere: in earth,

water, sky, and air:
Firm as the thunderbolt, the seat of

the seeker is established above the

void.
He who is within is without: I see

Him and none else.

LVII

I. 66. sddho sabd sddhnd Mjai

T3 ECEIVE that Word from which

-A-^ the Universe springeth !

That Word is the Guru ; I have heard

it, and become the disciple.
How many are there who know the

meaning of that Word ?
O Sadhu ! practise that Word !
The Vedas and the Puranas proclaim it.
The world is established in it,

SONGS OF KABIR 103

The Rishis and devotees speak of it :
But none knows the mystery of the

Word.
The householder leaves his house when

he hears it,
The ascetic comes back to love when

he hears it,
The Six Philosophies expound it.
The Spirit of Renunciation points to

that Word,
From that Word the world-form has

sprung.
That Word reveals all.
Kabir says: "But who knows whence

the Word cometh?"

LVIII

I. 63. file pydld ho matwdld

EMPTY the Cup ! O be drunken !
Drink the divine nectar of His
Name !
Kabir says : " Listen to me, dear Sadhu !

104 SONGS OF KABIR

From the sole of the foot to the crown
of the head this mind is filled with
poison."

LIX

I. 52. khasm na clnhai hdwrl

OMAN, if thou dost not know thine
own Lord, whereof art thou so

proud ^
Put thy cleverness away : mere words

shall never unite thee to Him.
Do not deceive thyself with the witness

of the Scriptures :
Love is something other than this, and

he who has sought it truly has

found it.

LX

I. 5Q. sukh sindh M sair kd

THE savour of wandering in the
ocean of deathless life has rid
me of all my asking:

SONGS OF KABIR 105

As the tree is in the seed, so all diseases
are in this asking.

LXI

I. 48. sukh sdgar men dyke

XXTHEN at last you are come to the
f T ocean of happiness, do not go

back thirsty.
Wake, foolish man ! for Death stalks

you. Here is pure water before

you ; drink it at every breath.
Do not follow the mirage on foot, but

thirst for the nectar ;
Dhruva, Prahlad, and Shukadeva have

drunk of it, and also Raidas has

tasted it :
The saints are drunk with love, their

thirst is for love.
Kabir says : *' Listen to me, brother !

The nest of fear is broken.
Not for a moment have you come face

to face with the world :

106 SONGS OF KABIR

You are weaving your bondage of

falsehood, your words are full of

deception :
With the load of desires which you hold

on your head, how can you be

light?"
Kabir says: ''Keep within you truth,

detachment, and love."

LXII

I. 35. sail ko kaun sikhdwtd hai

WHO has ever taught the widowed
wife to burn herself on the pyre
of her dead husband ?
And who has ever taught love to find
bliss in renunciation ?

LXIII

I. 39. are man dhiraj kdhe na dharai

HY so impatient, my heart ?
He who watches over birds,
beasts, and insects.

w

SONGS OF KABIR 107

He who cared for you whilst you were
yet in your mother's womb,

Shall He not care for you now that you
are come forth ?

Oh my heart, how could you turn from
the smile of your Lord and wander
so far from Him ?

You have left your Beloved and are
thinking of others : and this is
why all your work is in vain.

LXIV

I. 117. sdni se lagan kathin hai bhdl

HOW hard it is to meet my Lord !
The rain-bird wails in thirst for
the rain: almost she dies of her
longing, yet she would have none
other water than the rain.
Drawn by the love of music, the deer
moves forward : she dies as she
listens to the music, yet she shrinks
not in fear.

108 SONGS OF KABIR

The widowed wife sits by the body of
her dead husband : she is not
afraid of the fire.

Put away all fear for this poor body.

LXV

I. 22. jab main bhuld re hhdl

O BROTHER! when I was for-
getful, my true Guru showed me
the Way.

Then I left off all rites and ceremonies,
I bathed no more in the holy
water :

Then I learned that it was I alone who
was mad, and the whole world
beside me was sane; and I had
disturbed these wise people.

From that time forth I knew no more
how to roll in the dust in obei-
sance :

I do not ring the temple bell :

I do not set the idol on its throne :

SONGS OF KABIR 109

I do not worship the image with flowers.

It is not the austerities that mortify the
flesh which are pleasing to the Lord,

When you leave off your clothes and
kill your senses, you do not please
the Lord :

The man who is kind and who practises
righteousness, who remains passive
amidst the affairs of the world,
who considers all creatures on
earth as his own self.

He attains the Immortal Being, the
true God is ever with him.

Kabir says: "He attains the true
Name whose words are pure, and
who is free from pride and con-
ceit."

LXVI

I. 20. man na rangdye

THE Yogi dyes his garments, in-
stead of dyeing his mind in the
colours of love :

no SONGS OF KABIR

He sits within the temple of the Lord,
leaving Brahma to worship a stone.

He pierces holes in his ears, he has a
great beard and matted locks, he
looks like a goat :

He goes forth into the wilderness, kill-
ing all his desires, and turns him-
self into an eunuch :

He shaves his head and dyes his gar-
ments ; he reads the Gita and be-
comes a mighty talker.

Kabir says: "You are going to the
doors of death, bound hand and
foot!"

LXVII

I. 9. nd jane sdhab kaisd hai

I DO not know what manner of God
is mine.
The Mullah cries aloud to Him : and
why? Is your Lord deaf? The
subtle anklets that ring on the

SONGS OF KABIR 111

feet of an insect when it moves
are heard of Him.
Tell your beads, paint your forehead
with the mark of your God, and
wear matted locks long and showy :
but a deadly weapon is in your
heart, and how shall you have
God?

LXVIII
III. 102. ham se rahd na jay

I HEAR the melody of His flute, and
I cannot contain myself !
The flower blooms, though it is not

spring; and already the bee has

received its invitation.
The sky roars and the lightning flashes,

the waves arise in my heart.
The rain falls ; and my heart longs for

my Lord.
Where the rhythm of the world rises

and falls, thither my heart has

reached :

112 SONGS OF KABIR

There the hidden banners are fluttering

in the air.
Kabir says: "My heart is dying,

though it hves."

LXIX
III. 2. jo khoddy masjid vastu hai

IF God be within the mosque, then
to whom does this world belong.?
If Ram be within the image which you

find upon your pilgrimage, then

who is there to know what happens

without ?
Hari is in the East: Allah is in the

West. Look within your heart,

for there you will find both Karim

and Ram ;
All the men and women of the world

are His living forms.
Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram :

He is my Guru, He is my Pir.

SONGS OF KABIR 113

LXX
III. 9. sll santosh sadd samadrishti

HE who is meek and contented, he
who has an equal vision, whose
mind is filled with the fullness of
acceptance and of rest ;

He who has seen Him and touched
Him, he is freed from all fear and
trouble.

To him the perpetual thought of God
is like sandal paste smeared on
the body, to him nothing else is
delight :

His work and his rest are filled with
music : he sheds abroad the radi-
ance of love.

Kabir says: "Touch His feet, who is
one and indivisible, immutable
and peaceful; who fills all vessels
to the brim with joy, and whose
form is love."

114 SONGS OF KABIR

LXXI
III. 13. sddh sangat pUam

GO thou to the company of the
good, where the Beloved One
has His dweUing-place :

Take all thy thoughts and love and
instruction from thence.

Let that assembly be burnt to ashes
where His Name is not spoken !

Tell me, how couldst thou hold a
wedding-feast, if the bridegroom
himself were not there ?

Waver no more, think only of the Be-
loved ;

Set not thy heart on the worship of
other gods, there is no worth in
the worship of other masters.

Kabir deliberates and says: "Thus
thou shalt never find the Be-
loved!"

SONGS OF KABIR 115

LXXII
III. 26. tor hlrd hirdilwd kin cad men

THE jewel is lost in the mud, and
all are seeking for it ;
Some look for it in the east, and some
in the west; some in the water
and some amongst stones.
But the servant Kabir has appraised it
at its true value, and has wrapped
it with care in the end of the
mantle of his heart.

LXXIII
III. 26. dyau din gaune kai ho

THE palanquin came to take me
away to my husband's home,
and it sent through my heart a
thrill of joy ;
But the bearers have brought me into
the lonely forest, where I have no
one of my own.

116 SONGS OF KABIR

O bearers, I entreat you by your feet,
wait but a moment longer : let me
go back to my kinsmen and friends,
and take my leave of them.

The servant Kabir sings: ''O Sadhu !
finish your buying and selling,
have done with your good and
your bad : for there are no mar-
kets and no shops in the land to
which you go."

LXXIV

III. 30. are dil, prem nagar hd ant na
pdyd

OMY heart ! you have not known
all the secrets of this city of
love : in ignorance you came, and
in ignorance you return.
O my friend, what have you done with
this life ? You have taken on your
head the burden heavy with stones,
and who is to lighten it for you ?

SONGS OF KABIR 117

Your Friend stands on the other shore,
but you never think in your mind
how you may meet with Him :

The boat is broken, and yet you sit
ever upon the bank ; and thus you
are beaten to no purpose by the
waves.

The servant Kabir asks you to con-
sider; who is there that shall be-
friend you at the last ?

You are alone, you have no companion :
you will suffer the consequences
of your own deeds.

LXXV
III. 55, ved kahe sargun Ice age

THE Vedas say that the Uncondi-
tioned stands beyond the world
of Conditions.
O woman, what does it avail thee to
dispute whether He is beyond all
or in all ?

118 SONGS OF KABIR

See thou everything as thine own
dweUing place : the mist of pleas-
ure and pain can never spread there.

There Brahma is revealed day and
night : there light is His garment,
hght is His seat, light rests on thy
head.

Kabir says : "The Master, who is true,
He is all light."

LXXVI
III. 48. tu sural nain nihdr

OPEN your eyes of love, and see
Him who pervades this world !
consider it well, and know that
this is your own country.

When you meet the true Guru, He will
awaken your heart ;

He will tell you the secret of love and
detachment, and then you will
know indeed that He transcends
this universe.

SONGS OF KABIR 119

This world is the City of Truth, its
maze of paths enchants the heart :

We can reach the goal without crossing
the road, such is the sport unend-
ing.

Where the ring of manifold joys ever
dances about Him, there is the
sport of Eternal Bliss.

When we know this, then all our re-
ceiving and renouncing is over;

Thenceforth the heat of having shall
never scorch us more.

He is the Ultimate Rest unbounded :

He has spread His form of love through-
out all the world.

From that Ray which is Truth, streams
of new forms are perpetually spring-
ing : and He pervades those forms.

All the gardens and groves and bowers
are abounding with blossom ; and
the air breaks forth into ripples
of joy.

120 SONGS OF KABIR

There the swan plays a wonderful game,
There the Unstruck Music eddies

around the Infinite One;
There in the midst the Throne of the

Unheld is shining, whereon the

great Being sits —
Millions of suns are shamed by the

radiance of a single hair of His

body.
On the harp of the road what true

melodies are being sounded ! and

its notes pierce the heart :
There the Eternal Fountain is playing

its endless life-streams of birth

and death.
They call Him Emptiness who is the

Truth of Truths, in Whom all

truths are stored !

There within Him creation goes for-
ward, which is beyond all philoso-
phy ; for philosophy cannot attain
to Him :

SONGS OF KABIR 121

There is an endless world, O my
Brother ! and there is the Name-
less Being, of whom naught can
be said.

Only he knows it who has reached that
region : it is other than all that
is heard and said.

No form, no body, no length, no
breadth is seen there : how can I
tell you that which it is ?

He comes to the Path of the Infinite
on whom the grace of the Lord
descends : he is freed from births
and deaths who attains to Him.

Kabir says : "It cannot be told by the
words of the mouth, it cannot be
written on paper :

It is like a dumb person who tastes a
sweet thing — how shall it be ex-
plained.^"

122 SONGS OF KABIR

LXXVII
III. 60. col hams a wd des jahan

OMY heart! let us go to that
country where dwells the Be-
loved, the ravisher of my heart !

There Love is filling her pitcher from
the well, yet she has no rope where-
with to draw water ;

There the clouds do not cover the sky,
yet the rain falls down in gentle
showers :

O bodiless one ! do not sit on your
doorstep; go forth and bathe
yourself in that rain !

There it is ever moonlight and never
dark ; and who speaks of one sun
only ? that land is illuminate with
the rays of a million suns.

SONGS OF KABIR 123

LXXVIII
III. 63. kahain Kabir, suno ho sddho

KABIR says: *'0 Sadhu ! hear
my deathless words. If you

want your own good, examine and

consider them well.
You have estranged yourself from the

Creator, of whom you have sprung :

you have lost your reason, you

have bought death.
All doctrines and all teachings are

sprung from Him, from Him they

grow: know this for certain, and

have no fear.
Hear from me the tidings of this great

truth !
Whose name do you sing, and on whom

do you meditate .f^ O, come forth

from this entanglement !
He dwells at the heart of all things, so

why take refuge in empty desola-
tion?

124 SONGS OF KABIR

If you place the Guru at a distance
from you, then it is but the dis-
tance that you honour :

If indeed the Master be far away, then
who is it else that is creating this
world ?

When you think that He is not here,
then you wander further and
further away, and seek Him in
vain with tears.

Where He is far off, there He is un-
attainable : where He is near. He
is very bliss.

Kabir says: "Lest His servant should
suffer pain He pervades him
through and through."

Know yourself then, O Kabir ; for He
is in you from head to foot.

Sing with gladness, and keep your seat
unmoved within your heart.

SONGS OF KABIR 125

LXXIX

III. 66. nd main dharml nahin
adharml

I AM neither pious nor ungodly,
I live neither by law nor by sense,

I am neither a speaker nor hearer,

I am neither a servant nor master,

I am neither bond nor free,

I am neither detached nor attached.

I am far from none : I am near to none.

I shall go neither to hell nor to heaven.

I do all works; yet I am apart from
all works.

Few comprehend my meaning : he who
can comprehend it, he sits un-
moved.

Kabir seeks neither to establish nor to
destroy.

126 SONGS OF KABIR

LXXX
III. 69. satta nam hai sab ten nydrd

THE true Name is like none other
name !
The distinction of the Conditioned

from the Unconditioned is but a

word :
The Unconditioned is the seed, the

Conditioned is the flower and the

fruit.
Knowledge is the branch, and the

Name is the root.
Look, and see where the root is : hap-
piness shall be yours when you

come to the root.
The root will lead you to the branch,

the leaf, the flower, and the fruit :
It is the encounter with the Lord, it is

the attainment of bliss, it is the

reconciliation of the Conditioned

and the Unconditioned.

SONGS OF KABIR 127

LXXXI
III. 74. pratham ek jo dpai dp

IN the beginning was He alone, suffi-
cient unto Himself: the formless,
colourless, and unconditioned
Being.

Then was there neither beginning,
middle, nor end ;

Then were no eyes, no darkness, no
light;

Then were no ground, air, nor sky ; no
fire, water, nor earth; no rivers
like the Ganges and the Jumna, no
seas, oceans, and waves.

Then was neither vice nor virtue ; scrip-
tures there were not, as the Vedas
and Puranas, nor as the Koran.

Kabir ponders in his mind and says,
"Then was there no activity : the
Supreme Being remained merged
in the unknown depths of His own
self/*

128 SONGS OF KABIR

The Guru neither eats nor drinks,
neither hves nor dies :

Neither has He form, Hne, colour, nor
vesture.

He who has neither caste nor clan nor
anything else — how may I de-
scribe His glory ?

He has neither form nor formlessness.

He has no name.

He has neither colour nor colourless-
ness.

He has no dwelling-place.

LXXXII
III. 76. kahain Kabir vicar ke

KABIR ponders and says: "He
who has neither caste nor coun-
try, who is formless and without
quality, fills all space."
The Creator brought into being the
Game of Joy : and from the word
Om the Creation sprang.

SONGS OF KABIR 129

The earth is His joy; His joy is the

sky;
His joy is the flashing of the sun and

the moon ;
His joy is the beginning, the middle,

and the end ;
His joy is eyes, darkness, and hght.
Oceans and waves are His joy : His

joy the Sarasvati, the Jumna, and

the Ganges.
The Guru is One : and Hfe and death,

union and separation, are all His

plays of joy !
His play the land and water, the whole

universe !
His play the earth and the sky !
In play is the Creation spread out, in

play it is established. The whole

world, says Kabir, rests in His

play, yet still the Player remains

unknown.

130 SONGS OF KABIR

LXXXIII
III. 84. jhl jhi jantar bdjai

THE harp gives forth murmurous
musics and the dance goes on

without hands and feet.
It is played without fingers, it is heard

without ears : for He is the ear,

and He is the listener.
The gate is locked, but within there is

fragrance : and there the meeting

is seen of none.
The wise shall understand it.

LXXXIV
III. 89. mor phakirwd mdngi jay

THE Beggar goes a-begging, but
I could not even catch sight of
Him:
And what shall I beg of the Beggar?

He gives without my asking.
Kabir says : "I am His own : now let
that befall which may befall !"

SONGS OF KABIR 131

LXXXV
III. 90. naihar se jiyard phdt re

MY heart cries aloud for the house
of my lover ; the open road and
the shelter of a roof are all one to
her who has lost the city of her
husband.

My heart finds no joy in anything : my
mind and my body are distraught.

His palace has a million gates, but there
is a vast ocean between it and me :

How shall I cross it, O friend ? for end-
less is the outstretching of the path.

How wondrously this lyre is wrought !
When its strings are rightly strung,
it maddens the heart : but when
the keys are broken and the strings
are loosened, none regard it more.

I tell my parents with laughter that I
' must go to my Lord in the
morning ;

132 SONGS OF KABIR

They are angry, for they do not want
me to go, and they say: ''She
thinks she has gained such do-
minion over her husband that she
can have whatsoever she wishes;
and therefore she is impatient to go
to him."

Dear friend, hft my veil Hghtly now;
for this is the night of love.

Kabirsays: ''Listen to me ! My heart
is eager to meet my lover: I lie
sleepless upon my bed. Remem-
ber me early in the morning !"

LXXXVI
III. 96. jlw mahal men Siw pahunwd

SERVE your God, who has come
into this temple of life !
Do not act the part of a madman, for

the night is thickening fast.
He has awaited me for countless ages.

SONGS OF KABIR 133

for love of me He has lost His
heart :

Yet I did not know the bliss that was
so near to me, for my love was not
yet awake.

But now, my Lover has made known
to me the meaning of the note that
struck my ear :

Now, my good fortune is come.

Kabir says: '' Behold! how great is
my good fortune ! I have received
the unending caress of my Be-
loved!"

LXXXVII

I. 71. gagan ghatd ghahar dm sddho

CLOUDS thicken in the sky! O,
listen to the deep voice of their
roaring ;
The rain comes from the east with its

monotonous murmur.
Take care of the fences and boundaries

134 SONGS OF KABIR

of your fields, lest the rains over-
flow them ;

Prepare the soil of deliverance, and let
the creepers of love and renuncia-
tion be soaked in this shower.

It is the prudent farmer who will bring
his harvest home; he shall fill
both his vessels, and feed both
the wise men and the saints.

LXXXVIII
III. 118. dj din he main jdun halihdrl

THIS day is dear to me above all
other days, for to-day the Be-
loved Lord is a guest in my house ;

My chamber and my courtyard are
beautiful with His presence.

My longings sing His Name, and they
are become lost in His great
beauty :

I wash His feet, and I look upon His
Face ; and I lay before Him as an

SONGS OF KABIR 135

offering my body, my mind, and

all that I have.
What a day of gladness is that day in

which my Beloved, who is my

treasure, comes to my house !
All evils fly from my heart when I see

my Lord.
"My love has touched Him ; my heart

is longing for the Name which is

Truth."
Thus sings Kabir, the servant of all

servants.

LXXXIX

I. 100. hoi suntd hai jndnl rag gag an
men

IS there any wise man who will listen
to that solemn music which arises
in the sky ?
For He, the Source of all music, makes
all vessels full fraught, and rests in
fullness Himself.

136 SONGS OF KABIR

He who is in the body is ever athirst,
for he pursues that which is in part :

But ever there wells forth deeper and
deeper the sound "He is this —
this is He"; fusing love and re-
nunciation into one.

Kabir says: ''O brother! that is the
Primal Word."

XC

I. 108. main kdse bujhaun

TO whom shall I go to learn about
my Beloved ?
Kabir says: "As you never may find
the forest if you ignore the tree, so
He may never be found in abstrac-
tions."

XCI

III. 12. samshirit bhdshd padhi llnhd

I HAVE learned the Sanskrit lan-
guage, so let all men call me wise :
But where is the use of this, when I

SONGS OF KABIR 137

am floating adrift, and parched

with thirst, and burning with the

heat of desire ?
To no purpose do you bear on your

head this load of pride and vanity.
Kabir says : "Lay it down in the dust,

and go forth to meet the Beloved.

Address Him as your Lord."

XCII
III. 110. carhhd calai sural virahin kd

THE woman who is parted from her
lover spins at the spinning wheel.
The city of the body arises in its

beauty; and within it the palace

of the mind has been built.
The wheel of love revolves in the sky,

and the seat is made of the jewels

of knowledge :
What subtle threads the woman weaves,

and makes them fine with love

and reverence !

138 SONGS OF KABIR

Kabir says: "I am weaving the gar-
land of day and night. When
my Lover comes and touches me
with His feet, I shall offer Him my
tears."

xcm

III. 111. Icotin bhdnu candra tdrdgan

BENEATH the great umbrella of
my King millions of suns and

moons and stars are shining !
He is the Mind within my mind : He

is the Eye within mine eye.
Ah, could my mind and eyes be one !

Could my love but reach to my

Lover ! Could but the fiery heat

of my heart be cooled !
Kabir says: "When you unite love

with the Lover, then you have

love's perfection."

SONGS OF KABIR 139

XCIV

I. 92. avadhu begam des hamdrd

OSADHU ! my land is a sorrow-
less land.
I cry aloud to all, to the king and

the beggar, the emperor and the

fakir —
Whosoever seeks for shelter in the

Highest, let all come and settle

in my land !
Let the weary come and lay his burdens

here !

So live here, my brother, that you may
cross with ease to that other shore.

It is a land without earth or sky, with-
out moon or stars ;

For only the radiance of Truth shines
in my Lord's Durbar.

Kabir says: "O beloved brother!
naught is essential save Truth." ^

140 SONGS OF KABIR

XCV

I. 109. sdnl he sang an sdsur dl

I CAME with my Lord to my Lord's
home : but I hved not with Him
and I tasted Him not, and my
youth passed away Hke a dream.

On my wedding night my women-
friends sang in chorus, and I was
anointed with the unguents of
pleasure and pain :

But when the ceremony was over, I
left my Lord and came away, and
my kinsman tried to console me
upon the road.

Kabir says, "I shall go to my Lord's
house with my love at my side;
then shall I sound the trumpet of
triumph!"

SONGS OF KABIR 141

XCVI

I. 75. samujh dekh man mit piyarwd

O FRIEND, dear heart of mine,
think well ! if you love indeed,

then why do you sleep ?
If you have found Him, then give

yourself utterly, and take Him to

you.
Why do you loose Him again and

again ?
If the deep sleep of rest has come to

your eyes, why waste your time

making the bed and arranging

the pillows?
Kabir says: "I tell you the ways of

love ! Even though the head itself

must be given, why should you

weep over it?"

142 SONGS OF KABIR

XCVII

II. 90. sdhab ham men sdhab tum men

THE Lord is in me, the Lord is in
you, as life is in every seed. O
servant ! put false pride away, and
seek for Him within you.
A million suns are ablaze with light.
The sea of blue spreads in the sky.
The fever of life is stilled, and all stains
are washed away; when I sit in
the midst of that world.

Hark to the unstruck bells and drums !

Take your delight in love !
Rains pour down without water, and

the rivers are streams of light.
One Love it is that pervades the whole

world, few there are who know it

fully:
They are blind who hope to see it by

the light of reason, that reason

which is the cause of separation —
The House of Reason is very far away !

SONGS OF KABIR 143

How blessed is Kabir, that amidst this
great joy he sings within his own
vessel.

It is the music of the meeting of soul
with soul ;

It is the music of the forgetting of
sorrows ;

It is the music that transcends all com-
ing in and all going forth.

XCVIII

II. 98. ritu phdgun niyardnl

THE month of March draws near: ah,
who will unite me to my Lover ?
How shall I find words for the beauty

of my Beloved ? For He is merged

in all beauty.
His colour is in all the pictures of the

world, and it bewitches the body

and the mind.
Those who know this, know what is

this unutterable play of the Spring.

144 SONGS OF KABIR

Kabir says: "Listen to me, brother!
there are not many who have
found this out."

XCIX

II. 111. ndrad pydr so antar ndhl

OH Narad ! I know that my Lover
cannot be far:
When my Lover wakes, I wake ; when

He sleeps, I sleep.
He is destroyed at the root who gives

pain to my Beloved.
Where they sing His praise, there I

live;
When He moves, I walk before Him:

my heart yearns for my Beloved.
The infinite pilgrimage lies at His

feet, a million devotees are seated

there.
Kabir says: "The Lover Himself re-
veals the glory of true love."

SONGS OF KABIR 145

C

II. 122. kdi prem hi pehg jhuldo re

HANG up the swing of love to-day !
Hang the body and the mind

between the arms of the Beloved,

in the ecstasy of love's joy :
Bring the tearful streams of the rainy

clouds to your eyes, and cover

your heart with the shadow of

darkness :
Bring your face nearer to His ear, and

speak of the deepest longings of

your heart.
Kabir says: "Listen to me, brother!

bring the vision of the Beloved in

your heart."

T

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life is tremendous, a worth-while adventure. "Everything has sprung from
immortal life and is vibrating with life. LIFE IS IMMENSE." . . .

Tagore is a great human being. His heart is warm with love. His thoughts
are pure and high as the galaxy.

(Copyright, 1913, by Frank Crane.) Reprinted by permission from the
New York Globe, Dec. 18, 1913.

PUBLISHED BY

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Publishers 64-66 Fifth Avenue New York

The Autobiography of
Devendranath Tagore

Translated from the Original Bengali by
SATYENDRANATH TAGORE and INDIRA DEVI

With an Introduction by Evelyn Underbill

Clothy ismo, frontispiece, $2.00 net

" This book is one more amongst the small number of authentic
histories of the soul; it must rank with the few classic autobiog-
raphies bequeathed to us by certain of the mystics and saints. It
is essentially of the same class as the Testament of Ignatius Lo-
yola^ ihefournal of George Fox. The whole life of the intricately-
blended human creature living ' eternal life in the midst of time '
— not the mere factual happenings, not alone the intuitions, the
meditations, and the dreams, but the whole rich complex of ele-
ments both finite and infinite, the growth and change, the slow
becoming of the soul — this it is which such books bring home
to the reader's mind.

♦ ♦ « ♦ «

" Nothing perhaps could contrast more strongly with the nor-
mal Western idea of the Indian mystic than the Maharshi's long
and active career, the character of the vision which inspired it,
the doctrine which he taught. The Christian promise of ' more
abundant life ' as a fruit of the love and knowledge of God has
received no clearer fulfilment. His missionary labours, his ardu-
ous and enthusiastic pilgrimages, his genius for friendship, his
deep passion for nature, his sane and balanced outlook upon hu-
manity, his intense interest in the events of his time, no less than
the ecstatic life of contemplation which ran side by side with his
active career — all are rooted in this. He was no amateur of a
thin and rarefied spirituality, but that rare creation, a
man . "

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Publishers 64-66 Fifth Avenue New Tork

K3BS
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